Today's Creation Moment

Mar

03

Are We as Good as It Gets?

Proverbs 16:18

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Are we, as human beings, as good as it gets? According to several influential evolutionary scientists, human beings are as good as it gets, and evolution has stopped for us. Some dispute this, saying...

So begins an article in USA Today this week running under the headline: "Evolution teaching poor in U.S. high schools." Citing a report by two Penn State science educators, USA Today noted that only 28% of the 926 teachers surveyed, "unabashedly introduce evidence that evolution has occurred and craft lesson plans so that evolution is a theme that unifies disparate topics in biology."

For evolutionists who are trying to indoctrinate our children with evolutionary dogma, this is bad news. It means that 72% of the teachers surveyed were failing to teach apes-to-man evolution as undisputable fact. And 13% of the respondents advocated teaching "biblical creationism" or "intelligent design" in biology class!

So what exactly are these renegade teachers doing in the classroom that's making the evolutionary establishment so upset? According to the report, "Some teach evolutionary biology as though it only applies to molecular biology – completely ignoring macroevolution of species.

"Others defend the teaching of evolution as a necessary evil, using state examination requirements as a convenient means to disassociate themselves from the very material they are expected to teach… Many teachers told us that they tell students that it does not matter if they really 'believe' in evolution, so long as they know it for the test.

"Finally, a sizable number of teachers expose their students to all positions – scientific or not. Students should make up their own minds, explained a Pennsylvania teacher, 'based on their own beliefs and research. Not on what a textbook or on what a teacher says.'"

Though these teachers are getting failing grades from the educational establishment, Creation Moments is giving these renegade teachers an "A" for taking the teaching profession seriously. We applaud them for teaching their students how to use critical thinking skills when it comes to the issue of origins.

Comments

Submitted by J.C. (not verified) on Thu, 2011-02-03 16:14.

Teachers who want their students to consider facts and think for themselves? That can't be good for evolutionists. In order to believe evolution, you have to be kept at the most rudimentary understanding of the sciences and taught outdated theories that don't even belong in modern textbooks, such as phylogeny recapitulates ontology.

Submitted by Jacob M. (not verified) on Thu, 2011-02-03 16:48.

The sad thing is teachers can lose their jobs when they encourage their students to look at current science and discard scientific claims that are invalid. Also, encouraging kids to consider whether design requires a designer can get you into hot water. At George Mason University, Caroline Crocker was not allowed to teach any longer at that institution after introducing the concept of Intelligent Design.

Submitted by B.B. (not verified) on Thu, 2011-02-03 16:54.

The biology classroom is not the place for evolutionary theory. If you want to put it somewhere, put it in ancient history under Greek philosophies that were regurgitated.

Submitted by Tim (not verified) on Wed, 2011-02-23 19:39.

The Greeks hadn't discovered evolution, they believed that the gods had created everything.

Darwin wasn't ancient, OR Greek.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2011-02-03 17:39.

Jesus came to set us free from greedy leaders...greedy leaders are still playing the game to lead people astray with theories of loveless, lawless animalistic ideas. Just read the sloppy and negative comments some bloggers use to stress their emphasis with phrases that are debasing and absurdly ignorant. They are the product of educators who hide behind the wishes greedy leaders who know societies are easier to lead when they are weak and vulnerable. A society which has principles and ideals will not tolerate greedy manipulative leaders.

Submitted by quantumgreg (not verified) on Fri, 2011-02-04 10:44.

I personally know a teacher that does this very thing. He disassociates himself from the belief of evolution by saying essentially, "The state demands I teach you the THEORY, so I will." But he adds to the students that he WANTS them to know the theory because once you know the theory you will immediately understand how truly unreasonable and illogical it is. He's not allowed to teach creationism because that is against school policy, but he tells his students if they want an alternate theory they can contact him outside of school and he will tell them. Several students have taken him up on that offer and he has provided them with creationist and ID materials. I am thankful for any teacher that teaches critical thinking on ANY SUBJECT, even subjects about the Bible. When we become critical thinkers we will have a purer and more honest belief system because we will not have anything at all to hide nor will we have to dress up the emperor in invisible clothes. Thanks for the post!

Submitted by Geoff Shaw (not verified) on Fri, 2011-02-04 22:29.

This is the best comment I've read.. the guy is completely honest, open, and to the degree needed ..compliant!! I would like to know his teaching framework.. maybe Creation Moments can feature this??

Submitted by Tim (not verified) on Wed, 2011-02-23 19:41.

It'd be helpful to define a theory here.

A theory explains why something happens. It's not the same in science as it is in common use. A theory has to be well-tested, and explainable. The difference between a theory and a law is that a law explains what happens, and a theory explains how.

In the meantime, your teacher friend is telling others a "hypothesis", which is an idea that doesn't have any data supporting it.

Submitted by April (not verified) on Fri, 2011-02-04 17:01.

The attempt to secularize America is being effected by separating us from our God, Jesus Christ, the Judge of Heaven and Earth who delivered us from the oppressor and gave us liberty. Taking the Bible out of the classroom was a key tool and it was done in the name of "science" and "religious freedom." Educators are always complaining about the poor level of education here. Well, congratulations. Keep the Bible away from students and they'll turn out to be products of society rather than children of God.

Submitted by Tim (not verified) on Wed, 2011-02-23 19:45.

Why should one religion be given preference? Since there are many religions (and many, many people with no religion), there should either be given equal precedence or none. Taking the bible out of classrooms makes sense, as there is no evidence for many of its claims, including the fundamental one.

By mentioning the poor level of education, are you referring to people who still believe (as the bible teaches) that the sun is the center of the universe?

Keeping the bible away could be a good or bad thing, depending on if the kids decided to take it literally or not. Give kids the bible, and they could be killing everyone who showed up to work on a Sunday and stoning people in the town square. Or they could use the happy-feely version, and do good. But given the discrepancy (and the wealth of religions in the USA), it's by far the best for it to be out. Would you enjoy your kids reading the Upanishads or the Qur'an?

Submitted by Ethan (not verified) on Mon, 2011-03-07 13:40.

In regards to the question of why one religious system should be given preference, one should rather ask why should one worldview be given preference, for that is the heart of the matter. The answer: each worldview is diametrically opposed to all others. In short, to bring to mind the law of noncontradiction, the subject cannot simultaneously be A and non-A. Contradictory views cannot all be simultaneously true in the same way. Logic precludes this. As such, an individual seeking truth should examine which worldview is true and follow that.

Second, in responding the the comment about "people who still believe (as the bible teaches) that the sun is the center of the universe," such a comment is untrue. Nowhere in the Bible is there any remark of the sun or earth being at the center of the universe. This thought had gradually taken root in the minds of those educated centuries ago and had become dogma. But again, there is no Scriptural basis.

Submitted by Cyndy in Ohio (not verified) on Wed, 2011-02-09 12:19.

In circa 1965, my husband's professor at Arizona State U taught that (1) by the year 2000, human bodies would shrink from lack of use and (2) human heads would be huge because the brain would be used more than the body. I had a high school science teacher who said that someday we would only eat a pill that would contain all the nutrients we need. (So much for constipation, HA!) ... Baby boomer generation was also taught that we would never have to worry about the cost of power for our homes and autos because everything would be nuclear, which would be very cheap. ... Unfortunately, my 61 year old sister believed the evolutionary teachings that she was taught. It messed her up, and she says she "never got it" about the God thing. To make things worse, my niece who is a Ph.D. student at Stanford U in California thinks that it is okay to accept the teaching that the universe was created by an explosion. This Ph.D. scientist believes that Christians can accept evolutionary thinking. I tell her to read the Bible, just Genesis, with the mind of a scientist and that the creation of the world is explained there in pretty scientific terms. I also find that many many Christians do not even know that there was NO RAIN until after the Great Flood. My older sister says, "That's impossible." Then I explain that the Earth was mostly a tropical climate with plants being watered by a mist (evaporation and condensation). When people learn that the water came from beneath the land masses during the flood, they can then understand that the whole Earth was flooded, that is, covered, and that many of the land masses were raised and flipped over. That's huge!

Submitted by Tim (not verified) on Wed, 2011-02-23 19:48.

Your niece is on the right track :)

Just because Christians don't believe exactly the same thing as you doesn't make them wrong, and the evidence is on her side. Reading Genesis does NOTHING for a scientific mind, as there is no evidence of what it says in our world.

The rest is all fine and dandy, but has no evidence... or biblical support.

Submitted by Ethan (not verified) on Mon, 2011-03-07 13:56.

While the debate for evolution continues and many see it as only a waste of time, wondering why can't we agree to disagree, either outcome has enormous repercussions. While there are some Christians who believe that macroevolution is compatible with the Bible, few seem to grasp what it means for macroevolution to be true.

In recent history, the twentieth century to be specific, great atrocities were committed by individuals whose worldview was founded upon evolution. While I am not stating that all those that believe in evolution will become violent, I am stating that such men as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Tze-Tung took the theory of evolution to its logical conclusion. This conclusion was started with the premise that evolution was true and the the existence of a theistic God was false. Therefore, races were created on the basis of evolutionary teaching. Thus, violence was licensed because man was eliminating those that were holding back the species from developing into the ubermensch.

Furthermore, with evolution taken at face-value, an individual has value proportionate to its contributions to society. Under evolutionistic teachings, abortion and euthanasia are sanctioned. This disregards that man is created in the imago Dei, and is valuable simply on the basis that he exists. So long as there are those who do not wish to see God, this debate will not satisfactorily be concluded.

Submitted by stevejs on Tue, 2011-03-08 13:10.

Excellent points, Ethan! Though I'm sure that evolutionists will accuse you of being irrational - using "guilt by association" to connect Darwinism with Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tze-Tung - you are absolutely correct. There is a real connection, and it can easily be found by reading their writings. Evolution is responsible for the death of more innocent people worldwide than any other idea from the mind of man. Darwin hated God, especially after the death of his child. Too bad he didn't know how many other little children would die because of the diabolical idea that came from his cursed writings.